Am I Hungry? Blog

Thankful for Food: The Great Connector

What if there was one simple act that could cultivate more happiness, peace, success, health, and love in your life?

There is! Cicero said, “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.”

The gratitude holiday, Thanksgiving, stems from the tradition of holding harvest festivals to give thanks for the bounty and celebrate all the hard work with the community. While the vast majority of us are not involved in the harvest anymore, we cultivate gratitude when we take a few moments to be thankful for food.

Food: The Great Connector

While we may be far removed from the origins of our meal, food connects us in ways that we probably take for granted. While a national holiday dedicated to thankfulness is wonderful, how would our lives change if we took a few moments to express gratitude every time we ate? The ability to experience gratitude starts with your awareness. Imagine throwing a pebble into a pond and watching the ripples spread outward, first noticing your immediate experience then expanding in ever widening circles.

Food connects you to …

… your five senses: sight, smell, touch, tastes, and hearing and your ability to fully experience the appearance, aromas, textures, flavors, and even the sounds as you eat.

… your future through the immediate consequences of your choices and the long term effects on your health.

… other people through conversation and the shared experience of eating together.

… those who contributed their time, energy, and talent to get the food from farm to table: people who planted, tended, harvested, produced, packaged, transported, and sold your food and people who selected, purchased, prepared, and served your food.

… local and world economies through the sale and purchase of raw ingredients, packaging materials, manufacturing equipment, transportation, food service, and even marketing. Think about this: The money you spend to put food on your plate puts food on the plates of families everywhere.

… nature through the soil, sun, water, air, and weather. These natural elements were transformed into the bite of food in your mouth and will soon be transformed into the energy you’ll use to contribute to the world in whatever way you choose.

How’s that for a ripple effect!

Table Talk

Whether dining by yourself or striking up a conversation with your dining companions, these questions are like a pebble in a pond.

What physical sensations, thoughts, and feelings am I aware of while eating?

What memories do I have about this particular holiday, meal, food, recipe, or table?

Where did this food come from and how did it get here?

What else am I grateful for?

Let Thanksgiving be the beginning; build the simple yet powerful act of gratitude into every meal you eat.

About the author

Michelle May, M.D. is a recovered yo-yo dieter and the founder of the Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Programs and Training. She is the award-winning author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: A Mindful Eating Program to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle
, winner of seven publishing awards. She is also the author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat with Diabetes, Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Binge Eating, and Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating for Bariatric Surgery. Michelle shares her compelling message and constructive keynotes with audiences around the country, offers workplace wellness programs, and has trained and licensed hundreds of health professionals to facilitate Am I Hungry?® Mindful Eating Programs worldwide. She has been featured on Dr. Oz, the Discovery Health Channel, and Oprah Radio, and quoted in Diabetic Living, Fitness, Health, Huffington Post, Parents, Self, USA Weekend, US News & World Report, WebMD and many others. Her personal success story was published in Chicken Soup for the Dieter's Soul. Michelle cherishes her relationships with her husband, Owen and grown children, Tyler and Elyse. She regularly enjoys practicing yoga and hiking near her home in Phoenix, Arizona. She and Owen, a professional chef, share a passion for gourmet and healthful cooking, wine tasting, photography, and traveling.

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In Their Words…

"This way of living and eating is so much more comfortable and less restrictive. This method works because it gives me tools to apply what I already know about eating and exercise. It acknowledges that I am an intelligent woman and makes me feel in charge of my own body and emotions."

C.W., Am I Hungry?Mindful Eating Workshop participant

"I've been to more than my fair share of workshops, seminars, conferences, and retreats but my five days in Carefree was by far the most rewarding experience I've ever had for self-care, self-empowerment, and self-awareness. LOVED IT!!!"

"Michelle put the audience of physicians at ease and engaged us in an intriguing discussion about nutrition and health. Her talk was a true masterpiece!"

Thomas James, M.D., MontanaAcademy of Family Physicians

"Excellent opportunity to expand not only your knowledge but also skill sets for meeting your patients' needs. Am I Hungry? offers a genuinely unique and incredibly valuable alternative to ineffective dieting."

Beth Woodford, M.D., Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program Facilitator

"This program addresses the real reasons we overeat and gives us tools to overcome them. Most other programs are just surface level. It's a long journey but I have a good start."

Participant, Am I Hungry?Mindful Eating for Bariatric Surgery

"Am I Hungry? is a real differentiator for our company. The philosophy of empowering employees to make choices is very different from the programs that focus on what you can and cannot eat."

Participant, Am I Hungry?Mindful Eating for Workplace Wellness

"I was looking for a program that would help me to get out of that never ending diet cycle. Am I Hungry? has truly helped me to take charge of my eating."

P.J., participant, Am I Hungry?Mindful Eating Workshop

"This training gave me the tools to share a simple, but radical, concept: We all deserve and can achieve a health-centered, peaceful relationship with food and our bodies."

"The Am I Hungry? retreat was absolutely life changing for me. If you are tired of thinking, planning, and reacting to food in the same old way, and want to learn how to live a bigger, beautiful life, this retreat is for you."

Participant, Am I Hungry?Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly Retreat

"Dr. May's program is an effective strategy that can prevent and reverse chronic disease."

Ruth Dudding, Health EducatorAthens County Health Department

"The Am I Hungry? program is one of the most comprehensive trainings I've received. It provided me with the tools to get started immediately. I have knowledge, tools, and support to begin working with an individual client or workshop participants. I highly recommend this program."

Ellen Cullman, Ph.D., Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Program Facilitator

"If you are considering this workshop, take it! It's very powerful. You will learn so much and feel very comfortable in the group."

Jan, Am I Hungry?Mindful Eating Workshop participant

"I loved the modeling of gentle, respectful 'Isn't that interesting?' insights that helped me apply these concepts to my own journey."

Linda C., Am I Hungry?Mindful Eating Webinar Participant

"Thanks for opening my eyes to a problem I have been fighting with all my life. The concepts I learned from Am I Hungry? have helped me in all areas of my life."

Participant, Am I Hungry?Mindful Eating for Workplace Wellness

"The Mindful Eating for Binge Eating Retreat is masterfully and lovingly created to move you through the process of saying goodbye to bingeing and hello to living!"

Participant, Am I Hungry?Mindful Eating for Binge Eating Retreat

"Dr. May's mindful eating message resonates with people and provides a refreshing, positive, empowering approach that fits all lifestyles. We look forward to integrating this into the culture here. Her visit created the ripple effect we hoped it would."

Gail Grozalis, MS,RD,CDE - WellnessManager, Atlantic Health System

"This program is precisely what I have been searching for. I highly recommend the training to any professional dedicated to improving the quality of life of their clients. "

"If you are tired of food being the center of your life and want to be free to enjoy the rest of your life - this retreat is for you."

Participant, Am I Hungry?Eat Mindfully, Live Vibrantly Retreat

"Am I Hungry? is by far the most enlightening, thought provoking, forward thinking education about eating. By listening to my body and understanding its needs, I have been able to enjoy eating and exercising without feeling restricted or punished. My whole outlook is brighter!"